Deadly Encounter part 4
by DanielJackson56
Summary: In these next 5 chapters, Jack, Lothar, and the children go shopping in the mall. Jack tells Rick that he's getting married.


In the next five chapters, Jack, Lothar, and the children go to the mall to do a little shopping. While they are there, they look at wedding rings, plus a few other things.

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CHAPTER 21

As everyone got in the car, Jack made sure all the children were buckled up in their car seats. He shut the doors, then opened the door on the passenger side for Lothar to get in.

She got in the car and buckled up her seatbelt. Then she waited for Jack to get in.

Jack shut her door, then walked over to the driver's side, and got in. He shut his door, then put on his seatbelt. He got out his car keys, then put the key into the ignition, and started the car. He looked at Lothar and the children. "Is everyone buckled up?" he asked to make sure.

"Yeah, we all are," Lothar said. "Come on, we don't have all day," she hurried Jack.

He looked at Lothar surprised. "What's the matter, are you in a hurry?" he asked. All of a sudden he thought she seemed like she was in a rush.

She looked at the clock. "Not really, but it's almost ten am. And we have a lot to do this morning. Not to mention the things we have to do for the cook out this afternoon."

Jack nodded. "You're right. If we're inviting all our friends over, we need to make sure everyone has enough to eat. I'll call Rick and tell him to ask everyone to bring a covered dish. And I'll get some of those mini steaks for the grill. That should be enough," he decided. He put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "But don't worry. We'll get everything done in time," he assured. He glanced at the dashboard on the car and sighed. "Before we go anywhere, I need to get some gas," he stated as he noticed the fuel gauge was only half full. He shifted the car into drive, then headed out of the driveway to the nearest gas station.

When they drove to the gas station, Lothar looked out of the window. It felt good to be back home after being away for so long. She enjoyed the ride and relaxed in the front seat. She turned her head and watched the kids in the back. The seemed to have a good time. "They seem to like the car ride," Lothar said.

Jack nodded. "Yes. Sometimes we go on outings on the weekends. I think it's good for them to be outside the house. They need to see what goes on in the outside world. There's enough bad news on TV and they can't just watch cartoons all day. So getting out is good for them," he replied.

Lothar nodded. "I agree with you," she answered. "I know there's a toy store too in the mall. I guess we could see if we can find some toys for them, which they can play with outside," she offered.

Jack nodded. "That's a good idea. I've been meaning to get them a wading pool they could splash around in. Since we've had so many warm days, they would have fun with that," he agreed. After a few minutes they finally arrived at the gas station. Jack pulled up to an empty pump, then stopped the car. He got out, and walked over to the pump, then punched a button that said pay outside. The screen prompted him to scan his credit card. He took out his credit card and slid it into a slot on the pump, then removed the card. The screen prompted him to select the grade of gas and begin pumping. He selected his gas, then picked up the pump, and walked over to the gas tank. He opened up the tank, and then inserted the nozzle and started pumping his gas.

It didn't take long to fill the tank. After a few minutes he pulled back the pump and closed the tank. He put the pump back and took his ticket. Then he got into the car again and started the engine. He drove out of the gas station to continue the ride into town.

It was a pleasant ride to the mall. Jack turned on the radio as they drove and tuned in a radio station that played some classic golden oldies. The station happened to be playing a song that was one of his favorites. 'Ain't No Woman'. He briefly smiled as he listened to the song. It was sung by a group he knew, The Four Tops. In his mind he could see him and Lothar dancing to that song. That was his favorite radio station.

He loved those old classic songs. They reminded him of a time when things weren't so rushed, and you could just take it easy and relax. Not to mention, the music wasn't so complicated, and it was easy to dance to and you could actually understand the lyrics. Unlike the music they usually played on the radio, where it was way too loud, and you couldn't understand what they were saying.

After a few minutes the song ended. Jack quietly sighed. He couldn't help but think how that song reminded him of Lothar. He thought she was just too good to be true. He couldn't believe he had finally met someone, who was willing to put up with him, and even cared about his children and loved them too. He sighed once more and continued on his way to the mall.

They finally arrived at the mall. It was a big place, with a huge parking lot. It didn't take him long to find a parking spot fairly close to the entrance. That was a good thing. He was always careful walking with the children through the parking lot. They always held hands and he made Serena and the boys stay close.

And thinking of Serena, he happened to think that he had forgotten to bring her stroller. The mall was a big place and sometimes she got tired of walking. But he happened to remember that they had strollers, that people with children could rent and even take them into the stores while you shopped. Jack pulled into the parking spot and stopped the car. He put the car in park, then looked Lothar and the kids. "We're here," he said and smiled.

Evan, Jona, and Serena cheered. "YAAAA!"

Jack chuckled. "You would think that I never took them anywhere," he joked as he noticed how excited they were. Jack and Lothar got out of the car and helped the kids out of their seats. While Jack locked up the car, Lothar held Serena's hand and kept an eye on the boys, who were holding each other's hands too.

When Jack was finished he reached out for the boys and they both took a hand. Then they all went to the entrance of the mall. As they walked in, they walked up to the directory to get an idea of where to go first. Jack looked at Lothar. "Where do you think we should go first?" he asked.

She looked at the directory. "We should go to... here," she pointed at the shop where they could rent a stroller. "For Serena," she said. "In case she gets tired."

Jack nodded. "Good idea. She does get tired trying to keep up with the boys," he agreed. He studied the map to get an idea of where the other shops were. He saw a jewelry store, and pointed to that. "Maybe we could look here for our rings," he informed.

"Good idea," she answered. "And here are the cheese and the butcher stores. We still need some things for the cook out. But we can go there on our way back." She pointed at another shop. "Here is the toy store, maybe we can get a wading pool there for the kids. Oh and thinking of that, I need a bikini." She winked at Jack when she said that.

He raised his eyebrows, then smiled. "Oh, that sounds nice. You'd look great in a bikini," he said and winked.

Lothar laughed and looked at Serena. "And you young lady, do you need a bikini too? And maybe the boys swimming pants?"

Jack chuckled. "This is going to be a fun shopping trip," he remarked as he thought of the things they were going to buy.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Lothar said smiling.

Jack nodded. "Sure. We need to get that stroller first," he reminded her. He held onto the boys hands. "Ok team. Move out!" he said in a mock military voice. They walked through the mall and headed to the place where they rented strollers. They didn't need much time to get a stroller and put Serena into it. Serena looked challenging at her two brothers. "I don't have to wak," she teased them. "You have to stay wit daddy, mommy stay wit me."

Jona and Evan frowned. "No fair. She gets to wide and we have to wak," Evan grumbled.

Jack looked at the boys. "Serena is younger than you are and she can't keep up as fast. So it's better that she rides. Look at it this way. Since you're older, you get to do more things," he said and smiled.

The two boys nodded. "Yeah!" they replied and smiled. "Wike play football," Jona said.

Jack nodded. "Right," he replied.

Lothar laughed and shook her head. The boys were so much like their father. Soon they arrived at the jewelry store, where they wanted to look for the wedding rings. When they entered the store a salesman came up to them. "Good morning sir, madam," he greeted them. "Can I help you?"

Jack nodded. "Hi. Yes. We're in the market for wedding rings. What do you have?" he asked.

"You came to the right place, sir," the salesman answered. He led them to a table and invited them to sit down. Then he took a few cassettes with different kinds of wedding rings to show them.

Jack noticed the boys were being very good, and gestured to a couple of chairs next to him and Lothar for them to sit down. "Have a seat guys. This could take awhile," he stated.

The two boys sat in their chairs and watched the screen as their father and Lothar looked at the rings.

Serena saw a ring she liked and pointed to it. "I wike dat one mommy. Dat has wots of dimonds," she commented. She happened see a very pretty gold diamond ring with a narrow band, with small diamonds on it.

Lothar looked at Serena and nodded. "Yes honey, it is a beautiful ring." Then she turned to Jack. "What do you think?" she asked him.

Jack studied the ring. "It's a beautiful ring all right. It's up to you," he replied. It had been a long time since he had shopped for a wedding ring. He felt a bit out of the loop on this trip.

She looked at the salesman. "Do you have these rings in our sizes, so we can try them on? To see how they look?" The salesman nodded. He took the size of their fingers and went to the back of the shop. Lothar looked a bit hesitating at Jack. "I like that ring. But you will have to wear it too, so it will be our decision."

Jack thought for a moment. "I kind of like the silver ones. Gold just seems to stand out too much," he remarked.

Lothar nodded. "I agree, they are beautiful too. But don't say no right away to that golden one. Just wait and see how it looks on your finger ok?"

Jack nodded. "Ok. I could do that," he agreed. He flipped through a catalog and happened to see a ring he liked. "I like this one. This is nice," he said. He showed Lothar the ring. He found a very nice man's ring with a wide silver band.

Jack chuckled. "Hey check this out. If I buy this ring, I get a Swiss army knife," he joked. He happened to see a Swiss Army Knife with the ring. "It even has a flashlight on it," he added.

"Yeah sure, MacGyver," she said laughing. But then she got serious again. "It is a beautiful ring, but don't you think this looks too big on my finger?"

Jack looked at her serious. "Actually this is a man's ring. But you can get a woman's ring to match it. Or I can get a ring to match yours," he informed. He thought for a moment. "We should definitely go for matching rings," he decided.

"That's what I thought too," she said. "Ok, if the ladies ring that matches to that one looks good, we could take them."

Jack happened to find a really beautiful ring for Lothar. "Oh, this is really pretty. It has three diamonds on it," he informed. He happened to find a very pretty silver diamond ring with a narrow band.

"This would really look beautiful on your hand," he said in earnest and smiled.

But Lothar shook her head. "No Jack, I never liked rings with big stones. Then I like that other ring you found much more."

He nodded. "Personally, I don't like big stones either. Not for me. But for you, they don't look too bad," he replied.

"Definitely not Jack. Don't even think about giving me a ring like that," she stated.

He quietly sighed. "Ok. Since you're the one who's going to wear it, I should let you choose," he replied.

That moment the salesman came back with the matching golden rings. "I'm sorry to ask," Lothar started, "but do you have also a matching ring for this one?" She showed him the titanium wedding band that Jack liked a lot.

Before the man could answer, Jack happened to see another ring for her that had much smaller stones. "How about this one? The stones are smaller in this, and it's really pretty too," he stated. He found another really pretty silver diamond ring with much smaller diamonds on it and a narrow band.

"Yeah, that could be the one. I like that one more than that titanium ring," she said enthusiastic.

Jack nodded. "Since it's silver, it would look ok with that man's ring I liked," he stated.

Lothar smiled when she looked at the ring. "I think I like this one too, shall we take those?" she asked Jack.

Jack nodded. "You could have the diamond, and I could have the band. That would look nice," he stated. He happened to think that he didn't give her an engagement ring. "I just remembered... I haven't given you an engagement ring. I should get you that too," he stated.

"Oh no Jack, that's not necessary," Lothar said. "It's all so expensive and we have also three kids that need clothes for that day and I need a wedding dress..."

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "You have a point. I suppose you're right. I just didn't want you to feel left out. But I suppose one ring is enough," he agreed.

"Yes, Jack. That will do. And don't worry, I don't feel left out." She leaned over to him and kissed quickly his cheek. "Just remember that I love you," she said so quiet that only he could hear it.

He gave her a kiss back. "I love you too," he replied.

"We'll take these rings," Lothar said to the salesman. "Very well," the man answered.

"I will have to order those rings in your sizes," he said. "That will take three or four days."

Jack nodded. "Nice. Do I pay now, or wait until they come in?" he asked.

The man smiled. "Oh you can wait until they come in. We'll give you a call," he assured.

Jack nodded. "That sounds good. We both like those rings," he stated.

The man nodded. "I will make the order ready for you. I need your name, address and phone number," he said.

Jack nodded. He gave the man all the necessary information. When they were finished he looked at Lothar. "Now are you sure you like that ring? You can always change it," he assured.

She shook her head. "I'm positive about that ring," she said. Then she looked at

Serena. The little girl had almost fallen asleep. "Shall we go on now? We need a lot more this morning."

Jack looked at his watch, and noticed that it was almost lunch time. "Yes. We should get some lunch too. It's almost that time. I'm sure the kids are getting hungry too. Not to mention, I noticed they had a food court. We could eat there," he stated. He happened to remember he was going to call Rick. "Oh yeah, I need to call Rick too and let him know about the cook out," he said.

Lothar nodded. "Yes, but don't tell him the reason why ok? And ask him to call the others as well. Tell him only, that we have an announcement to make."

Jack nodded. "Right. Good idea. We don't want to spoil the surprise," he agreed. He looked at the salesman. "If we're all finished here, we'd like to get going. We have some shopping to do," he stated.

The salesman nodded. "Yes of course. I'll let you know when your rings come in," he assured.

Jack nodded. "Thank you," he said.

The man nodded. "You're welcome. You two have a nice day," he parted.

Jack nodded. "Thanks," he replied. He looked at Lothar. "If you're ready, we can go," he said. He looked at the boys. "Ok guys. We're finished. We can go," he informed them.

The two boys smiled. "Yaaaa!" they cheered.

"We're hungry daddy," Evan informed.

"Yeah!" replied Jona.

Jack nodded. "I know. I'm a little hungry too. Don't worry. We're going to the food court and get something to eat," he assured.

"Oh boy!" they cheered.

They gathered their things, and then Jack, Lothar, and the children left the jewelry shop, and walked back out into the mall.

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End of chapter 21

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CHAPTER 22

In this chapter, Jack calls Rick and tells him that he and Lothar are getting married.

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The smell of all the various foods drifted throughout the mall as all the different small fast food restaurants began preparing lunch for all the people in the mall. As Jack, Lothar, and the children, made their way to the food court, Jack studied the different restaurants there, trying to decide what they could eat for lunch. He also looked around to find them a table that had plenty of chairs as well. When they came to the food court, Jack happened to spot an empty table near a pretty fountain with some greenery around it. He noticed there were five chairs too and gestured to the table.

"Hey, let's sit over there," he suggested. He released the boys hands and they trotted over to the table. They climbed up in their seats and sat down. When Jack and Lothar got to the table with Serena in the stroller, Jack unbuckled his little daughter, then took her out of the stroller, and sat her in a chair. He noticed that she could just barely see the top of the table. He looked around and happened to see a booster seat nearby. He walked over and picked up the booster seat, and carried it back to their table. Lothar picked up Serena, and then Jack secured the booster seat to the chair. Lothar sat Serena in the booster seat, then put the seatbelt around her waist so she wouldn't fall out. Luckily the boys were fairly tall for their age and didn't need booster seats. Jack was glad about that. He wasn't sure if he could find anymore booster seats.

After the children were all settled, Jack and Lothar, sat down with the children. Jack rested his hands on the table, then looked at Lothar and everyone. "Ok. What would all of you like for lunch?" he asked.

Immediately Serena spotted a pizza place then looked at her father. "Daddy, can we has pizza?" she asked.

The boys nodded. "Yeah, can we daddy?" they asked.

Jack looked at Lothar. "How about it Lothar, would you like to have some pizza?" he asked. He knew how much the kids loved pizza, but he thought maybe Lothar would rather have something different.

Lothar looked at the menu. "Yes," she said. "I like to have a Pizza Hawaii. You too sweetie?" she asked Serena.

The little girl nodded. "I wike pisa hawa," she said. "Wit ham and... those yellow tings," she ended.

Jack chuckled. "Those little yellow things are pineapples," he informed. He looked at the boys. "What kind of pizza do you want?" he asked. They thought for a moment.

"We want veggie," Jona replied and Evan nodded.

Jack nodded. "Ok, sounds good. I'll go put in the order. By the way what would everyone want to drink?" he asked.

The boys thought for a moment, then spoke. "Can we have a swushie?" Evan asked.

Jona nodded.

Jack thought for a moment. "Well, maybe a little one. Those are really sweet. But yeah. You can have one," he replied. He looked at Lothar, and Serena. "What do you girls want?" he asked.

"We want both an orange/banana smoothie," Lothar answered.

Jack nodded and smiled. "That sounds good. Maybe I'll get one too," he replied. He got up, then walked over to the pizza place to give his order. Luckily there wasn't a big line, and soon he stepped up to the bar. A young man with dark brown hair and glasses looked at Jack and smiled. For a moment Jack couldn't help but think how much the young man reminded him of Daniel.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" the young man asked.

Jack looked at the menu, then looked at the young man. "I'd like a small child sized veggie pizza, and one adult medium Hawaiian pizza, and to drink, I want two small slushies, and one small orange/banana smoothie, and two medium banana/orange smoothies and lots of napkins," he smiled.

The young man took his order, then nodded. "It will be just a few minutes," he informed.

Jack nodded. "Thanks," he replied.

The young man nodded, then turned, and went to get the pizzas.

While Jack waited, he found some straws and some plastic utensils for their food and drinks and collected those. He happened to see some napkins and gathered those up too. Normally the kids were good about not spilling things but he was always prepared for accidents.

A few minutes later, the young man returned with Jack's order. He rang up the bill, then told Jack the price. Jack took out his wallet, and paid the young man. Luckily the pizzas were in boxes and the drinks were set in a container to make it easy to carry. Jack carefully stacked up the pizzas and drinks along with the napkins, utensils, and straws, and carried them over to over to the table. He handed out everyone's drinks, then put the straws in the drinks. He gave everyone a napkin, then opened up the pizza boxes. The pizzas smelled good. He couldn't wait to try the Hawaiian pizza. It really smelled good. He sat down, then looked at everyone. "Ok. Here's our pizzas," he informed.

Lothar smiled at him. "Thanks! Guess we all are really hungry."

Jack nodded. "You're welcome. Yeah. Those pizzas really smell good," he replied. He took out a knife and fork and cut some pizza up for Serena and the boys. "Here you go kids. Here's some pizza," he said.

The two boys immediately started eating their veggie pizza. "Yum!" they said.

Jack took a bite of the Hawaiian pizza then smiled. "Mmm good," he mumbled between chews.

Lothar helped Serena with her pizza and then she took a bite of her own piece. "You're right," she said. "This pizza is delicious." Then she took a sip from her smoothie and put a straw in Serena's drink. "Here honey, when I'm right you will like this."

Serena drank a bit and smiled. "Yummy," she said.

Jack took a drink of his smoothie and smiled. "Yeah, this smoothie is good," he replied.

"Of course," Lothar said and winked at Serena. "I know what's good for you."

Serena laughed loud when she saw her father's look. The boys had fun too.

Jack thought for a moment. "I think I saw some smoothie mixes at the store. I'll have to buy those next time, and we can make our own," he remarked.

"Good idea," Lothar agreed with him. "Fruit is important, for all of us."

Jack nodded. "That's very true," he replied. He noticed that Jona had some pizza on his face. He picked up a napkin and wiped his face. "Don't forget to use your napkins boys," he reminded.

They nodded.

He looked at Serena, and noticed she had some on her face too. He chuckled. "Looks like you have a pizza face too," he teased.

Lothar saw the pizza on her face and wiped it off. "That's better, sweetie," she said smiling.

A short while later they had finished their pizza's and were drinking the last of their drinks. "Where do we go next?" Lothar asked.

Jack wiped his mouth. He thought for a moment. "That reminds me, I need to call Rick. I don't want to wait too late," he replied. He took out his cell phone and opened it then punched in Rick's number. A few minutes later he heard Rick's cell phone ringing.

Rick and Wylie had just finished watching a movie that Wylie had rented when he heard his cell phone ringing. He took it out and answered it. "Hello!" he answered.

"Rick? This is Jack. How's it going?" he greeted.

Rick smiled. "Hey Jack. I'm fine. How are things going with you and Lothar?" he said.

Jack briefly smiled. "Not bad. Lothar's really doing good. We're at the mall, doing some shopping. We just finished lunch," he replied.

Rick smiled. "That sounds like fun. What's up?" he asked. He knew whenever Jack called, he had something on his mind.

Jack smiled. "Not much. I was just calling to invite you and everyone over for a cook out. Lothar and I thought it would be nice to have everyone over for the weekend," he said.

Rick nodded. "Lothar and you? Since when did you two start making decisions together? As I recall you never had to ask anyone for permission on anything," he stated a bit knowing.

Jack put his hand over the phone and looked at Lothar. "I'll be right back. Keep an eye on the kids," he said. He got up then walked over to another table and sat down.

"Hey Rick. I'm back. Lothar didn't want me to say anything, but I guess I can tell you. Just promise me you won't tell everyone," he said a bit hesitant.

"Tell me what? What's going on Jack? Is there something wrong?" Rick asked a bit nervous. He was starting to get that strange feeling again that something bad had happened.

Jack sighed. "No. Everything is fine. Lothar and I are going to get married," he informed.

Rick's mouth suddenly dropped open. He took his cell phone and gave it a few whacks on the coffee table.

Jack heard a loud banging noise and got worried. "Rick? Are you ok? Rick?" he called out.

Rick returned to the phone "I'm sorry. I think I got a bad connection. Did you say you and Lothar are getting married?" he asked confused.

Jack laughed. "You heard right. Yes. We're getting married, Rick," he said and smiled.

Rick was stunned. "Holy crap! What brought that on?" he asked in disbelief.

Jack smiled. "I guess you could say we fell in love. She's just the most wonderful woman I've ever met. And she really loves the children too. Especially Serena. She thinks she's the sweetest little girl in the world, and I can't blame her," he said and smiled.

Rick quietly sighed. "Are you sure about this, Jack. I mean this is kind of sudden. Maybe you should think about this a little more. I mean... you hardly know the woman. She may not be who you think she is," he cautioned.

Jack shook his head "For crying out loud Rick. I'm a grown man. I don't need you telling me how to run my life. I know all about Lothar that I want to. And I love her and she loves me. And the kids love her too," he stated.

Rick nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just didn't want you getting hurt," he said.

Jack nodded. "Thanks Rick. I appreciate that," he said.

Rick quietly sighed. "So, you want to invite everyone over to let them in on this big surprise?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Yeah. Could you call them for us? And don't tell anyone. We'll tell them when they get to the house. And tell everyone to bring a covered dish. I'm doing some steaks, and we'll fix a few things too, so that should be enough for everyone," he explained.

Rick nodded. "Sure. No problem. I'll do it," he replied. He briefly smiled. "I'm really happy for you Jack. I really am. I'm glad you found someone," he said sincere.

Jack smiled. "Thanks Rick. Me too. Guess I'd better go. Lothar is watching the kids," he ended.

Rick nodded. "Ok. You take care and give Lothar my love, and congratulations," he said.

Jack nodded. "I will. And by the way, this cook out will be around seven," he stated.

Rick nodded. "Right. I'll be sure to tell everyone," he replied. They finally finished their call, and then hung up. Jack sighed with relief. He walked back to Lothar and the children. "Sorry it took so long. I had some explaining to do," he apologized. He pulled out his chair, and sat down.

Meanwhile, back at Rick's house, Rick was still surprised over the news that his younger cousin was getting married. He knew how much Jack missed Sha're, and how devastated he was over her death. But he seemed to sense that it was time for Jack to move on with his life, and despite how little he knew of this woman Lothar, Rick had to admit, that she seemed like a nice woman. Not to mention, it was obvious that Jack appeared to be smitten with her the moment he first saw her.

Rick thought how pretty Lothar was, and noticed that Jack thought the same. It was obvious that there was some kind of chemistry between them, as he noticed the looks they gave each other when they first met. He guessed there must be something to that old saying 'love at first sight'. He just hoped that Jack had made the right decision and he also hoped, that Lothar wouldn't break his cousin's heart. Jack had suffered enough. He certainly didn't need some woman stringing him along, and then breaking his heart. That would be too much. Not to mention, the kids didn't need that either. They also had suffered as much as Jack.

Rick cleared his mind of all the negative thoughts he was thinking. He really was glad that Jack had fallen in love, and found someone who loved him and the children. He just hoped that it would last. He quietly sighed, then started calling all their friends, to inform them about the cook out.

Jack quietly sighed. In some ways he felt guilty for divulging his and Lothar's surprise to his older cousin. Yet he knew Rick well enough to know that he was good at keeping a secret. However, he still felt he owed Lothar an apology. He took her hand, and looked at her with a hint of regret. "Lothar, I'm sorry, but I had to tell Rick about us getting married. I know you didn't want me to tell him, but you know how Rick is... he gets worried when I don't tell him things," he explained. He looked down at bit thoughtful. "Sometimes I get the feeling that he thinks I'm incapable of making my own decisions," he said. He looked at Lothar. "In some ways he's like an older brother. He feels like he has to look out for me. But then I have to remind him, that I'm all grown up now and I can take care of myself," he said and briefly smiled. He looked at Lothar serious. "Thinking of decision... wanting to marry you was the best decision I've ever made. I just hope that you don't feel like you're obligated to marry me, just because I asked you," he said with concern. As much as he loved her, he just wanted to make sure she wanted this as much as he did.

Lothar shook her head. "I already told you this morning, I want to marry you." She looked loving at him and laid her hand on his. "I love you, no matter what Rick says, or someone else. Maybe they all will say, we go too fast. But I have no doubts."

Jack felt his heart melt when she looked at him. He couldn't resist, he just had to kiss her. He gave her a very loving kiss, then smiled. "I love you too. And you're right. I don't have any doubts either. I just have a really good feeling about this. I just know everything is going to work out," he said sincere.

She smiled back at him and nodded. "Shall we continue, we still have a lot do before closing time."

He looked at his watch. "It's still early. They don't close until really late. But we do have more things to shop for," he stated. He happened to think of her wedding dress. "About your wedding dress, I think maybe it would be a good idea for you to go with Sam and the girls. I'm not usually a suspicious type, but I've always heard that it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride's dress before the wedding. And I certainly don't want to do anything to bring on any bad luck," he said.

"You're right about that," Lothar agreed. "I wanted to ask Sam, Amanda, Janet and Lucinda to come with me, when I go for the wedding dress. And besides that it might bring bad luck, I don't want you to see my dress. It has to be a really big surprise."

Jack nodded. "Yeah. That sounds like fun. I'm sure you girls will have a really good time looking at all those dresses," he smiled. He happened to think of the wedding. "That reminds me, I should get a suit. Since I'm not in the military anymore, I can't very well wear my uniform," he stated.

She smiled again. "That is true, but I'm sure you would have looked very handsome in your uniform. But a tux would suit you too, I guess." They got up from their chairs and while Lothar picked up Serena from her chair, she looked at Jack once more. She let her eyes go over his body and tried to imagine how he would look in a tux. Then she nodded again. "Yes, I think you should wear a tux on our wedding day," she decided. "But it has to be your decision," she said hasty, when she saw the horrified look on his face. She remembered how much he hated to wear a tux.

Jack nodded. "You're right. Besides I never was a tuxedo guy. They always seem so stiff. Not to mention, every time I wore one, I always felt like an usher at a funeral," he inwardly shuddered. He briefly smiled. "And this is certainly no funeral," he stated. He took some napkins and cleaned off the boys faces and hands, then got up, and helped them out of their chairs.

"No, or that is not the intention of that day," Lothar said and put Serena back in the stroller again. "Here's Sarah, honey," she said and gave her the doll again, which almost stayed behind on the table. They put the remnants of their meal together, to bring it to the garbage container in the corner. Then Jack took the boys hands and Lothar Serena's stroller and together they left the lunchroom.

* * *

End of chapter 22

* * *

Chapter 23

As they walked back to the mall, Evan looked at his dad. "Can we go to the toy store?" he asked.

Jack thought for a moment. "Not right now. But we will later," he assured.

The two boys nodded.

Serena looked at her dad. "Can I get a kini? Mommy's gonna get one," she asked and smiled.

Jack nodded. "Sure you can. You'd look cute in a bikini," he replied and smiled.

Lothar pointed at a shop nearby. "Look there's a nice shop, where we can go there for a bikini," she said.

Jack happened to remember a few details about the wedding. "Say, we need to get some invitations to send out. Everyone sends out invitations," he reminded her. He looked at the shop that Lothar pointed to and smiled. "However, we can get the invitations after you shop for your bikini," he remarked and winked.

"Wow Jack, ease down a bit. Are we getting married next week already? We will get the invitations soon enough. Don't you think we have enough to do for today already? If you want to be home before... what time did you agree with Rick?" she asked him, when she remembered that he didn't mention at what time everyone would come in.

He quietly sighed. "Sorry. I guess I'm just getting anxious about this wedding. I just want everything to work out all right," he replied. He thought for a moment. "I believe I told Rick to tell everyone to come around seven-ish," he stated.

She looked at her watch and nodded. "We still have a few hours left," she said. "If you don't mind I would like to take a look at that swim shop over there."

Jack nodded. "Sure. Maybe we can get some swim suits for the boys and Serena," he replied.

"And for you," Lothar joked.

"Me?" he replied putting his hand to his chest. "Wow, I haven't bought a pair of swim trunks since I don't know when," he replied surprised. And that was the truth. The last pair he bought, was when he and Sha're went to Florida on vacation. And that was years ago. He slightly blinked. "Ok," he finally decided.

"I'm sure you will look great in a pair of swim trunks. Is it safe to swim in that lake near your house?" she asked him. "You know how much I love to swim."

Jack nodded. "Oh yeah. It's quite safe. If you don't mind small fish nibbling on your legs once in awhile. It kind of tickles, but they won't hurt you," he assured and smiled.

She laughed. "No, I don't mind that."

Meanwhile they had reached the swim shop and they went in. They had no sooner walked into the shop when Jona and Evan tugged on Jack's pant leg. He looked down and noticed they were holding their crotch and looking worried. "I got to pee dad," Jona said quietly. Evan nodded. "Me too," he said.

Jack sighed. "Ok. Hold on. Let's go ask this woman if they have a restroom," he said. He took their hands, and walked them over the desk. There was a tall blond haired woman standing behind the counter, sorting out some socks. Jack walked up to her and smiled. "Excuse me, miss, do you have a restroom here?" he asked.

The nice looking woman nodded. "Yes. It's right over there," she replied pointing to the far corner of the store.

Jack nodded. "Can we use it?" he asked again.

The woman nodded. "Of course. It's a public restroom," she stated.

Jack nodded. "Thanks! You're very kind," he replied.

The woman smiled. "You're welcome," she replied. Jack smiled, then took the boys' hands, and hurried them over the men's room. He looked at them a bit disappointed. "Why didn't you go while we were at the food court?" he asked.

The boys shrugged. "We didn't have to go then," Evan replied.

Jack nodded. "Right," he sighed. They finally made it inside the restroom, then Jack took them to a stall. He helped them get their pants down, then waited while they relieved themselves. When they were finished, he cleaned them off, then flushed the toilet. He helped them get their pants on, then opened the bathroom door. He took them to the sink and helped them wash their hands and dry them. He decided while they were there he would go too. He looked at the boys. "You guys stay here while I go too and don't move!" he said.

They nodded and stood by the door. Jack quickly relieved himself, then flushed the toilet. He zipped his pants, then went to the sink and washed and dried his hands. He sighed, then looked at the boys. "Ok guys, let's go see if we can find you some swim trunks," he said. They walked out of the restroom then went to the little boys department.

Lothar looked together with Serena for some nice bikinis and soon she found a few, which she liked. She searched if they were in her size and smiled when she found them. Two nice red bikini's, one had also a bit of pink in it. "Well sweetie, do you like these for mommy?" she asked Serena.

The little girl nodded with a big smile.

"Come, let's go find a nice one for you too and then we can try them on ok?"

When they got back, Jack saw Lothar holding the bikini's she found. In the girls department she also found a cute red and pink bikini for Serena. "Hey guys," she said. "What do you think of these for Serena and me?" She gave the bikinis to Jack, and walked over to the boy's department. She searched for two pairs of swim trunks. She found two pairs, one yellow, the other blue, with both the same design on it. "Do you like these?" she asked the boys.

As they looked around, Jack noticed they had a big selection of swim trunks for boys. Now he just had to find their size. They had almost outgrown the pair they had and they needed new ones. He saw Lothar coming over with some swim trunks and bikinis she had found.

Evan and Jona looked at the swim trunks and nodded. "We wike those," replied Evan.

"Yeah," replied Jona.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, those are really cute. They would look good in those," he replied. He saw the bikini Lothar had picked out for Serena, and smiled. "That looks really cute!" he replied.

He noticed Lothar's bikini too. He also noticed that there wasn't much material to the bikini. "You mean that's it? That's all there is to it?" he asked studying the skimpy swimsuit. It was obvious that it had been a long time since he'd seen any bikinis.

Lothar laughed when she saw the look on his face. "How long has it been since you saw a woman in bikini?" she asked him. "It sounds like ages to me," she half way teased. "I see there is a changing room over there, I will have to try these on. I'll leave Serena for a moment with you."

Jack nodded. "Sorry. I don't usually go shopping for bikinis. I'm a bit out of the loop," he joked. He nodded. "Yeah, sure. Go try those on. I'm sure they'll look different after you get them on," he stated. He took the boys and Serena over to a waiting area, where they had a couch near the dressing room. He told the boys to sit down, and then he took Serena out of her stroller, and sat her on the couch too, then he sat down and waited for Lothar to come out.

_You'll be surprised,_ Lothar thought when she went into the change room. Quickly she undressed herself and put on the red/pink bikini. She looked in the mirror and smiled. This would certainly wake up the man in Jack.

The minute she walked out of the dressing room, Jack looked her over as she showed him the two bikinis she had picked out as she tried each of them on. It was hard to decide which one looked better. She looked really hot in both of them. He finally came to a quick decision. "Get them both. They look great on you," he said and smiled. He couldn't say what he really thought because of the children.

Lothar turned around and showed him her beautiful back. Over her shoulder she smiled at him. Then she took Serena with her and went back into the change room.

There she changed Serena's clothes for the nice pink bikini she had found for her daughter. "Yes, honey. Look in the mirror. You look like a little princess." Serena cheered. "Yeah and you too mommy. You a pwincess too."

Again they came out of the change room to show Jack and boys Serena's bikini. Jack had a hard time looking away from Lothar, but he forced himself to watch Serena in her bikini. He smiled when he saw the little pink bikini on Serena. "Well, don't you look cute! I really like that. Let's get that one too," he decided. "Oh and we'll get those trunks for the boys. They look cute in those too," he decided.

Lothar nodded and went back into the changing cabin. When she came out in her jeans and shirt, she said "You need one too Jack, I saw a nice red one over there."

He nodded. He walked over and picked up the trunks, then took them to the changing room. Luckily they were his size. He always had to shop in the big and tall department because he was really tall. He took off his pants, and put on the trunks then walked out and showed them to Lothar and the children. "How do these look?" he asked.

"Those are cool daddy!" said Jona and smiled.

Evan nodded. "Yeah. I wike red," he said.

Wow, Lothar thought, he even looks better in that than two years ago. Quietly she sighed and then turned to Serena. "What do you think of daddy in that swimming trunk?" she asked her.

"Cool!" Serena said.

Then she looked at Jack again. "You heard the kids," she said smiling. "And I must agree with them, you really look cool." Of course she couldn't say what she really was thinking, that had to wait till the evening.

"Thanks guys. I like them because they have pockets. I like trunks with pockets," he said.

Lothar could hardly take her eyes off of him. He looked so handsome again.

He looked in the mirror. "You don't think they make my butt look too big do you?" he asked and smiled.

She laughed. "Since when do you care about your butt?" she asked. "No, you look great, really."

Jack laughed. "You're right. Actually I was joking. But thanks," he replied. He went back into the dressing room and put his jeans and shoes back on. He brought out the trunks, then looked at Lothar. "Is there anything else you and the kids need? Looks like they have a lot in this store," he observed.

"I saw a nice dress for Serena, in the kids department," Lothar said. "A lollipop pink dress."

Jack nodded. "Ok. That sounds cute. She needs a new dress," he decided. He noticed Jona and Evan trying on a pair of sunglasses they had found and chuckled. "You guys look really cool. Do you want those?" he asked. They nodded. "Yeah," they said. Jack nodded. He looked at Lothar. "We should get some sunglasses for Serena too," he said.

Lothar nodded. "You're right. And I could use a pair too," she said. She found a pair of sunglasses for Serena that matched perfectly with her new bikini. She tried it on and smiled. Serena looked around as if she was the most important person in the shop. "Yes, this one looks great," Lothar said.

Jack smiled when he noticed Serena. "You're just too cute, Serena!" he remarked.

Lothar found also a pair for herself. "I'll take this one," she said. Then they all went to the blond woman behind the counter, to pay for the new bikinis and the sunglasses.

"For a dress for Serena, there's a nice shop a little further," Lothar said.

Jack nodded. He took out his credit card and paid for all the swim wear they had bought along with the sunglasses too. The woman took his card and scanned it then gave it back to Jack. She punched in their total, then finally gave him his ticket. She put everything in one big bag, then handed it to Jack. He thanked her, then looked at Lothar. "Right. She's almost outgrown some of her outfits. She's growing as fast as the boys," he commented.

"Of course, she won't stay little forever, will you honey?" Lothar said and caressed the little girl's hair. Again she was amazed how beautiful her little girl had become.

* * *

End of chapter 23

* * *

Chapter 24

Together they walked to the shop with ladies' and girl's clothes. Behind the window Lothar noticed a beautiful red halter dress and stopped to look at it. "Jack, look." She pointed at the dress.

Jack studied the dress, and smiled. "Wow! That's really pretty. You'd look great in that," he said. He gestured with his thumb back at the swim shop. "You know, I thought I was going to have to call the paramedics back there at the swim shop. When I saw you on those bikinis, I think my heart stopped beating for a few seconds. You looked really sexy in those bikinis," he said quietly.

She blushed and smiled. "That was the meaning of it. Not you getting a heart attack, but I wanted to look good for you," she answered just as quietly.

He kissed her cheek. "Hey, you'd look sexy wearing a brown potato sack," he halfway joked.

She smiled and looked again at the red dress. "I want to try that one on Jack," she said. "I want to be your lady in red tonight," she said and winked.

He nodded. "You're my lady no matter what color you wear," he said with affection and smiled.

"Haven't you ever heard that song 'Lady in red' from Chris DeBurg?" she asked him. "Such a beautiful love song..."

He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not that I recall. Maybe I did a long time ago, and just forgot," he replied.

"I have that song on one of my CDs," she said when they entered the store.

A tall woman with long dark hair came towards them. "Can I help you?" she asked.

Lothar nodded. "I'd like to try on that red halter dress in the window."

Jack took the stroller with Serena, then looked at the boys. "Ok guys. Lothar wants to try on a dress, so let's wait over here," he informed. They walked over to some chairs and sat down. He took Serena out of her stroller, then sat her on his lap while they waited for Lothar.

The tall woman looked at Lothar and nodded. "Yes, I have the right size for you," she said. She went to the back of the store and a few minutes later she came back with the beautiful red dress. "You might need a halter bra too, I have one in the same color as the dress," she offered.

Lothar nodded. "You're right. I can't wear a normal bra under such a beautiful dress."

Again the woman went to the back, and came back with a complete set of underwear, in the same color. Lothar went into the changing room and got undressed. She put on the red underwear and then the woman helped her with the dress. When they were finished, Lothar looked in the mirror. She hardly recognized the woman she saw. _Wow, wonder what Jack might think,_ she thought. "Do you have pumps, in the same color?" she asked the saleswoman.

She nodded. "Yes, I have just the right pair that beautifully suits with this dress," she said and left to get the shoes. A minute later she came back with a pair of nice red pumps, they were open, and the heels were not too high.

Lothar put them on and looked in the mirror again. _Just perfect,_ she thought. Then she shoved the curtain aside and stepped out.

Jack and kids had been talking about all the things they had bought and what they were going to do. All of a sudden Serena looked around and saw her mother come out of the dressing room. She let out a gasp, and pointed to Lothar. "Oh daddy wook at mommy! Her wooks wike a pwincess!" she exclaimed.

The boys just stared at Lothar and smiled.

Jack quietly gasped as he saw Lothar in that beautiful dress. "Wow!" was all he could say. He was just getting over seeing her in a bikini and then when he saw her in that dress, it was as if someone had zatted him.

Lothar saw him stare at her and smiled. Now she was certain, in this dress she could make him forget Sha're. She walked up to him, slowly, seducing. Easy Lothar, she suddenly heard Jadzia's voice in her head. Think of the children.

The sales woman looked at Lothar and chuckled. "I think he really likes it," she stated.

Jack shook his head. "No, I Love it! Wow you look beautiful," he complimented. He managed to get himself under control. "She'll take it!" he quickly decided. "And those shoes too, and whatever else she bought," he added.

"Yes, sir," the saleswoman said smiling. Lothar went back in the change room and changed the beautiful dress for her jeans and shirt again. The woman took the whole set to the counter, to make out the bill. Meanwhile Lothar was finished dressing again and came out of the change room.

Jack held Serena in his arms, as he looked at Lothar and smiled. "I agree with Serena. You looked like a princess in that dress," he complimented.

Jona nodded. "Yeah. You wooked pwetty," he agreed.

Evan nodded. "Yeah!" he added.

"Thanks all of you," Lothar said blushing. She went to the woman behind the counter and picked her own credit card out of her handbag.

Jack immediately got up and carried Serena to the check out. He looked at Lothar. "Hang on. This is my treat. I'm paying for this one," he stated.

But then Lothar remembered that she wanted to buy a dress for Serena as well. She laid her hand on Jack's arm to stop him. "Jack, wait! I want to look for a dress for Serena, which she can wear this evening."

Jack nodded. "Oh right. I almost forgot. Sorry," he replied and slightly blushed.

He looked at Serena. "You need a pretty dress too," he said and kissed his daughter on the cheek.

Lothar smiled when she saw them. Together with the woman they went to the girl's department. Lothar saw several dresses she liked, but then she saw a pink dress with 'hello Kitty' on it. She just knew it was perfect for Serena and she showed it to her. "I think you will look like a princess in this one, honey. Shall we try this one?"

Serena nodded. "Nice dwess," she said happy.

Lothar took her out of the stroller and went into the changing room with Serena. She helped the little girl change her own dress for the new dress.

When she was finished, she took a good look at her daughter. "You look beautiful in this dress honey," she said. "Come, let's go to daddy, see what he thinks about it." She took Serena's hand and left the changing room, to go back to Jack and the boys.

As Serena walked out of the dressing room, Jack smiled really big. He thought his little daughter looked adorable in that little pink dress. "AW! You look so cute in that dress! We'll get that one," he gushed. He happened to find some pink tennis shoes that had little pink hearts on them. He picked them up and noticed that they were the right size for Serena. He showed them to Lothar. "Hey look at these shoes. Aren't they cute! They would look so cute on Serena and they're her size too," he stated and smiled.

"Oh yeah," Lothar agreed. "Come honey, try these shoes on." She helped Serena once more to change her shoes. The result was just adorable. Serena looked like a little princess.

Jack nodded and smiled. "AW. She looks so cute!" he agreed.

Even the boys were stunned when they saw their little sister.

"Wow, you wook cute Saweena!" said Evan.

Jona nodded."Yeah!" he agreed.

"Guess we take this, honey?" Lothar asked Serena.

"Yes, mommy," the little girl said with a big smile. "Ok, then we have to change your clothes again, and daddy can go pay for them all." She laughed when she saw the look on Jack's face. She shrugged. "That's what daddies are for, aren't they?" she asked Jack.

Jack nodded. "Ya sure ya betch ya!" he said in his Minnesota accent and smiled.

Jona and Evan laughed. "Daddy's funny!" they replied.

He took out his credit card and handed it to the young woman. He looked at Lothar. "Is this everything?" he asked to make sure.

Lothar nodded. "Yeah," she answered. But also she felt a little guilty when she saw the amount that had to be paid. "I'm sorry Jack, I didn't realize the dress would be so expensive."

He waved it off and smiled. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's worth every penny, just to see my girls happy, and not to mention, looking pretty," he replied sincere.

She kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she said blushing. "I will wear that dress this evening, just for you."

The woman rang up their amount, then scanned Jack's card. When she was finished, she handed his card back to him. Jack looked at Lothar and smiled. "Whoa, I can't wait for that. You looked great in that dress," he replied. He took his card, then put it back in his wallet. He signed the sales slip, then the woman handed him his receipt. She put Serena's dress and shoes in a bag, then put Lothar's dress on a hanger, and covered it with some cellophane to keep it nice. She put the shoes in a box and put them and the undergarments in a bag, then handed them to Jack. Jack took the bags and dress then looked at Lothar. "I think we need a shopping cart for all this stuff," he stated.

The woman looked at Jack. "There are some shopping carts in the mall," she stated.

Jack nodded. "Thanks. I'll go get one," he said. He put everything on the counter, then looked at Lothar. "I'll be right back," he said. He quickly went to the mall and got a shopping cart, then brought it back to the store. They put all their things in the cart, then Jack looked at Lothar. "I guess we should head to the toy store. We wanted to get the kids a wading pool," he stated.

"Right," Lothar answered. "The toy store is on the way back. It's next to the cheese shop if I remember well." Together they left the dress shop and went to the toy store.

* * *

End of chapter 24

* * *

CHAPTER 25

The boys cheered as they headed to the toy store. That was their favorite place, and secretly Jack's too. He never missed an opportunity to stop by the toy store to check out all the new stuff. Being a kid at heart, he could always find something fun for the kids to play with. As they walked in the store, he was definitely in his element. He looked at the boys. "Ok guys, try not to buy everything in the store. But you can look around," he said.

The two boys nodded and smiled. "Ok daddy," they said and trotted off to look at the toys.

Jack, Lothar, and Serena went to look at the wading pools. They saw different pools they liked, but Lothar thought that the sliding ones were still too dangerous for Serena. But then she saw a pool which had the shape of a whale. "Look Jack! I think that one would be just perfect for the kids!" she said enthusiastic.

Jack studied the picture on the box and nodded. "Yeah. This is cute. They might like that. I just hope it does what it says. Sometimes you have to be careful with these things. You have to read the small print," he stated with concern.

Jona happened to find this big super soaker squirt gun and picked it up. He ran over to Jack and smiled really big as if he had found the biggest prize in the store. "Wook at dis dad! A super soaker! Dis is cool!" he beamed.

Jack studied the squirt gun then shook his head. "I don't think so. You don't really need that," he stated. Ever since his son Charlie's death, he never liked anything that had to do with guns. It was different with him. He was in the military and then he got this job being head of security for Rick's company. He had always been around guns, but it didn't mean he enjoyed it. He only carried one when he had to.

Jona frowned. "But Tommy has one!" he challenged.

Jack shook his head. "I don't care if he has ten! I said no!" he said in a firm tone.

Jona sighed. "OK!" he replied. He turned and went to put the toy back.

Lothar wisely kept her mouth shut, this was between father and son. She brought her attention back to the wading pool. "I think we could take this one, Jack," she said. "I think it is the best choice we can make."

Jack looked at Lothar. "Sorry. I got distracted," he replied. He quietly sighed. "I feel really bad about not letting Jona get that squirt gun. I know it's just a toy, but sometimes, I just get these feelings... and I just hate it when that happens," he said and frowned.

She laid her hand on his arm again. "Hey, I can understand that. And you are right, kids shouldn't play with guns. Not even with toy guns. Come, let's take that box to the counter. It is getting late, and we still need to get some cheese and go to the butcher for the steaks."

Jack nodded. "Thanks for understanding. You're right. They don't need to play with guns. There's enough violence in the world today," he agreed. He happened to think of the boys. "Guess I'd better go round up the boys. No telling what else they found," he sighed.

Lothar laughed. "I go pay for the whale. This time it is on me," she said when Jack wanted to protest again. She took the box and put it in the shopping cart. Then together with Serena in the stroller she went to the counter to pay. She took the cash money she had and paid. "When there is something wrong with that pool, can I bring it back and get another one?" she asked the man behind desk.

"Yes Madam, there is a guarantee on the pool."

She nodded and took the receipt from the man. "Thank you," she said and turned back to find Jack and the boys.

As Jack walked back to find the boys, he found them in the action figure department. They had found some Star Wars figures, and were looking them over really close. "Wook at dis, Jona. Dis is Chewbacca. He's a Wookie!" Evan stated.

Jona nodded. "Yeah! He's cool. I got Wuke Skywaker. I wike him," he said.

Evan nodded. "Yeah me too! Maybe dad wet us get deese," he said. They looked around and saw their dad coming and showed him the figures. "Dad! Wook what we found. Star Wars figures," they said.

Jack looked at the figures and nodded. "Cool! Yeah. Those are nice," he replied.

Evan looked at his dad a bit hesitant. "Can we get deese?" he asked.

Jack studied the figures then nodded. "Ok. Sure. Those are ok. Yeah," he replied. At least it was something they both liked and it didn't involve guns. At least not real guns. He briefly smiled as the figures reminded him of his days at the SGC and going on missions. He could just see the boys doing a little role playing fighting aliens, and going off into space. _If they only knew..._he mused. He slightly blinked, then took the figures, and smiled. "Ok boys. Let's go pay for your figures. Lothar bought you and Serena a wading pool. You can play in that when you get home," he said.

Jona and Evan smiled. "Oh boy! A pool! YAAA!" they cheered.

Jack chuckled. "Ok calm down. Let's go," he said. He guided the boys to the check out. As they arrived, he noticed that Lothar had finished paying for the pool. He thought that was sweet of her to buy the children a pool. He handed the clerk the figures then took out some money. Luckily the figures were on sale and they didn't cost too much. The clerk rang up the figures then she told Jack the amount. Jack paid the clerk, then the clerk punched in the money. A few minutes later, she gave Jack his change. She put the figures in a bag, then handed them to Jack. "Thank you for coming," she said and smiled.

Jack nodded. "You're welcome. And thanks," he replied. The woman nodded, then Jack smiled, and looked at the boys. "Well, let's go. We still have a few more things go get at the mall," he stated.

The two boys nodded. They looked at Jack. "Can we play with our toys?" asked Evan.

Jack nodded. "After you get home. You might lose them in the mall," he stated.

The two boys nodded.

Jack put the toys in the cart. He looked at Lothar and smiled. "Well, that was easy. We managed to get out with just two figures. Score one for the boys," he joked.

Lothar nodded. "Guess we'd better not go to the toy store too much," she said smiling. "Or to that dress shop." She let Jack take over the shopping cart. She took the stroller with Serena with one hand and with the other she held Jona's hand.

"Jona, you take Evan's hand. Daddy has the big shopping cart." Jona nodded and took his brother's hand. "Ok, the cheese shop is that way," Lothar said and started walking towards the shop.

Jack nodded. "Yeah. I have to admit, I'm as bad as the boys when it comes to the toy store. You never know what you might find," he replied and smiled. He thought of the dress shop. "As for the dress shop, I actually enjoyed that. I had fun watching you and Serena try on those dresses. You girls looked really sharp!" he commented and winked.

Lothar laughed. "Yeah, I liked it too. When I had that dress on, it was as if it was made just for me. And Serena is really a princess in her new dress, right honey?" she said. Serena just yawned, she was tired. "Ow sweetie, we go home soon. We only need to go the cheese shop and the butcher. When we come home you can sleep for a while ok? Before uncle Rick and Wylie and all the others are there." Serena just nodded tired. Lothar looked at Jack. "Let's make it short at the last two shops Jack. She really needs to sleep a few hours."

He looked down and noticed his daughter yawning and nodded. "I think you're right. She usually takes a nap this time of day. So that's probably why she's tired," he agreed.

They finally arrived at the cheese shop, and looked around at the different types of cheese in the coolers. The aroma of the various cheeses hung in the air. Jack studied some of the cheese in the coolers. There were so many varieties that it was hard to make a choice. "What kind do you think we should get?" he asked Lothar.

There was a sample tray near a counter, and Evan and Jona walked over and sniffed the cheese. Evan tasted one of the small chunks on the tray and made a face. "Ew. This is yucky!" he remarked.

Jona took a bite and made a face too. "Yuck," he commented.

Lothar couldn't hide a smile. The cheese the boys tasted was old Swiss cheese. She agreed with the boys. She didn't like it either. "I guess we just take a piece of that Dutch cheese," she said and pointed at a round Gouda cheese. "Maybe you like another one too?" she asked Jack.

After looking at all the cheese and even tasting some samples, Jack looked at Lothar. "How about we get this Gouda, Havarti, and this Brie. We could cut it up in small pieces for everyone to put on crackers. And if we have any left over, we could use it for cooking," he decided. He saw some regular American cheese. "We could get this for Serena and the boys. They like this," he stated.

Lothar nodded. "Good choice, I like that Brie too. Havarti is new for me, but I sure like to try it when we're home."

He nodded. "It had a mild taste. I liked it," he replied.

A clerk walked over and smiled. "Are you finding everything ok?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Yes. In fact we have already decided on some cheese. We want some of that Havarti, Gouda, and Brie. And some of that American cheese too," he stated.

The man nodded. "Very well. How much do you want? I can weigh some up for you," he asked.

Jack thought for a moment. "How about a couple of pounds of each. We're having some guests over and we want to make sure we have enough," he stated.

The man nodded. "Very well. I'll be glad to do that," he stated. The man gathered up the cheese then took it over to the cutter, and began cutting the cheese.

Jack looked around and noticed they had some crackers in the shop. "We should get some of those party crackers too," he said.

"Yeah, you're right," Lothar agreed with him. "Let's take these crackers, I had them more and they do taste good."

Jack nodded. "Yeah. They were good," he agreed. He noticed that they made baskets too. "We should keep this place in mind for gifts. They make gift baskets here," he suggested. He also happened to notice that they sold olives too. "You think we should get some of those olives?" he asked.

"Do you like them?" Lothar asked.

Jack nodded. "Yes. Especially the Spanish ones with the red pimentos," he stated.

"Then take them for yourself, I never liked olives," she said.

He nodded. "I was just thinking maybe our guests would like them," he stated.

"Maybe yes, but don't buy too many olives, not everyone may like them," she answered him.

Jack nodded. "You're right about that," he agreed.

Soon the man finished cutting their cheese and had wrapped it in plastic wrap. He put stickers on the cheese that showed how much they weighed and the price. He put them on the counter, then looked at Jack. "I have your cheese ready sir," he stated.

Jack nodded. "Thanks. We would like to have some of those party crackers and a jar of those Spanish olives too," he stated.

The man nodded and collected the crackers and olives, then put them on the counter. He looked at Jack. "Will that be all?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Yes, thank you," he replied.

The man rang up the bill then, Jack handed him his charge card. The man took the card and scanned it, then returned it to Jack. Jack signed his name on the scanner screen, then punched the ok tab. The register hummed as it completed the amount, then printed out a receipt. The man handed Jack his receipt, then put all their things in a bag. He looked at Jack. "Thanks for coming to our shop," he said and smiled.

Jack nodded. "You're welcome," he replied. He looked at Lothar. "Well, guess our last stop is the butcher," he stated.

Lothar sighed. "Yeah, and I have to admit, I'll be glad when we're home. My feet are starting to hurt." She helped Jack to put everything in the cart, took the stroller and Jona's hand. Jona on his turn took his brother's hand and together they left the shop to go to the butcher. Lothar was really glad it would be the last stop. She was tired and her feet were hurting. She wasn't used to long shopping days anymore. A nap together with her little girl sounded very good in her ears.

Jack had to admit that he was getting a bit tired too. He was only used to short trips, and this had been the longest shopping trip he had been on. He noticed that even Jona and Evan were rubbing their eyes as if they were getting tired too.

He looked at Lothar. "Yeah, I'm starting to wear down too. We covered a lot of ground today. We need some nap time," he stated.

"Yeah, so let's go to the butcher and then head for home," Lothar said.

He kissed her cheek, then nodded. "I'll go for that," he agreed.

They left the cheese shop and headed for the meat shop. Luckily it wasn't far from the cheese shop. After a few minutes, they came to the meat shop. Jack knew what he wanted so it didn't take him long to get the steaks. He walked up to the counter and smiled at the butcher. "Hi. I'd like some of those small steaks please. I need enough for at least twenty people or so," he stated.

The butcher nodded. "All right. I'll weigh some up for you right away," he stated.

Jack nodded. "Thanks," he replied.

The butcher gathered up the steaks and put them on a large scale. He looked at Jack. "How does this look?" he asked.

Jack studied the pile and nodded. "Yeah. That looks like enough. And maybe enough for people who want seconds," he stated. He happened to think of Teal'c and his big appetite.

The man nodded then punched in the weight and price. He removed the steaks and wrapped them in some brown paper, and put some tape around it. He put the price and weight on the paper, then rang up the price. Jack handed the man his card, and the man scanned it. The man punched a few buttons on the register, then gave Jack his receipt. He put the meat in a bag, then handed the bag to Jack. "Here you are sir. Enjoy your steaks," he said.

Jack nodded. "Thanks," he replied.

The man nodded. "You're welcome," he replied.

Jack nodded, then put the steaks into his cart. He looked at the cart and sighed. They had bought a lot of things today. He just hoped that there was room in the car for everything they bought. And yet, they had bought some really nice things, not to mention some clothes for the children. He also couldn't wait to see Lothar in her new dress. He thought she looked so pretty in that dress. He sighed and pushed the cart out of the shop.

Lothar looked at him when she heard him sigh. "You're tired too, aren't you?" she asked him. "I bet you didn't sleep that well, last night on the couch. Maybe we all should take a nap," she said. "And this time you don't sleep on the couch," she warned him.

He looked at her and sighed. "It's ok. I'm used to the couch. There's been nights when I'm watching TV and I just fall asleep on the couch. It's like a second bed," he briefly smiled. He thought about what she said about sleeping in his own bed. "Then again, it would be nice to be back in my own bed," he replied and smiled.

She smiled too. Not much later they all arrived at the car. While Jack was putting everything in the car, Lothar helped the kids in their seats and buckled them up. Serena was almost asleep. Lothar smiled and patted the girls cheek tenderly. Then she looked at the boys. "You guys be quiet ok?" But that wasn't hardly necessary to tell them, they were too tired to make any noise.

As they headed for home, Jack briefly smiled. "You know, if we were back at the base, I would recommend to Hammond that you would get a really big promotion. You were a real trooper today," he stated in earnest. He wasn't much on compliments, so that was his way of letting someone know that he appreciated them.

But she shook her head. "Jack, I already told you, I have enough with my job for Rick. I don't want to join the SGC or whatever."

He shook his head. "No. I wasn't suggesting that you joined the SGC. I know that you have more than your fair share of work at Gekko. I was just saying that you really went beyond the call of duty today going shopping at the mall with me and kids. Not too many women would put up with that," he said modest. He briefly looked at her. "But you were totally awesome," he said and smiled. He returned his attention to the road.

"I'm sorry, I guess I just misunderstood that," she answered with a smile. "But I'm glad you appreciate it. And to be honest, I loved every minute of this day. And I also look forward to the evening. I want to see the looks of everyone when we tell them our wedding plans."

He nodded. "Yeah. I think I gave Rick a mild heart attack when I told him, so there's no telling what everyone else will think. And personally I don't really care. I'm not marrying them, I'm marrying you. I love you, and that's more important than what everyone else thinks," he stated in earnest.

"I love you too," she said quiet. _I never stopped loving you,_ she thought.

Jack sighed and headed for home. He glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed that Serena and the boys had fallen asleep. He just hoped that they slept all the way home. It had been a long day for the kids, and for them too. They were all pretty tried, and he was looking forward to taking a nap. He knew Lothar was too. She had really knocked herself out running around the mall all day with him and the children, but he was glad that she enjoyed it.

At first he thought maybe she was just being nice, but after awhile he realized that she was being sincere. He could tell she really enjoyed helping Serena try on her clothes. She seemed to enjoy picking out those little outfits for her. And they looked so cute on Serena. Yes, in just the short time that Lothar had been with them, she had definitely made a difference in their lives. No longer would he be just a single father. He would soon be sharing his life with someone he truly loved and who truly loved him too. Not to mention she dearly loved the children too. Like Lothar, he was looking forward to sharing the good news with all his friends. And he was right when told her that he didn't care what they thought. He loved her, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

End of chapter 25


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